Small Things with Great Love: How to Find Peace in Troubled Times

Cultivate serenity and presence.

Many of us are facing a unique challenge right now.

We may go through waves of feeling unmoored, demoralized, and afraid.

We want to be present with what’s happening. We don’t want to plug our ears and sing Jingle Bells. But presence with what’s happening can bring emotional pain and fear.

We’re profoundly worried about the well-being of the planet, our fellow humans, and ourselves. We want to enjoy our lives, but it feels as if an ominous cloud has rolled in out of the blue.

Here is a guide for all of us, inspired by Mother Teresa’s words, “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.”

Think of this post as a glowing lighthouse in the gloom. You can find  your way back to these simple perspectives and practices any time you’re feeling lost at sea.

Do Your Daily Spiritual Work

Especially now, daily spiritual work is required.

Daily. Spiritual. Work. Is. Required.

For creating space in the mind, relaxing the body, and setting the tone for a harmonious day, there is nothing like showing up every single day – even for just 5 minutes – for your spiritual practice.

In the moment, it might not feel like much. But you will immediately notice a positive difference in your day. And, over time, it will make a phenomenal difference in your mood, focus, inspiration, and overall well-being.

At least once a day, light a candle or pray, meditate, or sit in silence for at least five minutes, but maybe 10, or 20, or 30.

But do what you can! If five minutes is the most you can commit to, five minutes is *100% better* than zero minutes.

This is a great time to do some personal energy cleansing and shielding work.

To give you an example from my own spiritual practice, every day, I ask Archangel Michael and Archangel Raphael to clear my energy field and shield me in divine light. I also connect with the elements and imagine connecting my energy field with the energy field of the earth and cosmos. For more on this practice, here’s a guided meditation you can try.

I also pray the Rosary. Sometimes I pray my own Pagan version, and sometimes I love to pray a more traditional version directly to Mother Mary. (Thanks to a reader of this blog, I learned about The Way of the Rose: The Radical Path of the Divine Feminine Hidden in the Rosary, which offers a perfect Goddess-centered version of the Rosary.)

Because it strengthens our connection to the Divine Feminine, praying the Rosary is a particularly powerful and helpful practice at this time. It calls more Goddess energy into the world, which is what is needed to heal the toxic masculine paradigm that fuels and perpetuates oppression and injustice.

If you feel guided to pray the Rosary, be sure to ask the Goddess to show you how you can be a healing presence and force for good. Remember that She may not answer immediately, but She will certainly reveal just what you need to know, exactly when you need to know it.

Get THE ANGEL MAGIC ORACLE here

Pray and Live by the Serenity Prayer

As powerful as you are, you can’t singlehandedly change world events. Nor should you expect yourself to.

It’s natural to feel as if you need to cram the weight of the world into your backpack and then carry it around all day and night. But remember: that’s not helping. You’re wasting your energy trying to do something you can’t do. You’re just one person.

As he observed the rise of Nazi Germany, the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr composed The Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Feel free to use whatever name for the Divine feels right to you. I prefer:

Goddess, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Pray the prayer and mean it. Say the words and consider their import, line by line.

Then, take deep a breath. And set that backpack down.

Now that you’ve set down the weight of the world, you’ll have so much more energy and bandwidth to help with the things that are in your locus of control.

Feel Your Feelings But Don’t Get Stuck in Repetitive Thought Loops

There’s no two ways about it: spiritual bypassing is bad. When we pretend that we don’t feel something, the feeling doesn’t go away. It festers and causes problems in our body, mind, and life.

On the other hand, if you’re like me, you might have noticed some repetitive thought loops that make you angry and get you nowhere. More than once, I’ve been driving, walking, or sitting on the couch relaxing, when I’ve gotten into an argument with an imagined person in my head. Like, “How could you think that? Well, what about this? What about this other thing? Do you really not see—-???”

…And then? I’m pissed.

So, this is a time of nuance. Yes, we want to feel our incredibly justified anger. We want to breathe into that anger without judging it or pushing it away. We also want to speak up about injustice when appropriate.

But! When we notice ourselves in a futile inner spiral that only serves to irritate us and make us mad, we want to lift ourselves up and out of the drama so we can recharge our batteries and cultivate peace.

The moment you notice one of these thought loops to nowhere, take a breath. Take another breath. Notice how your body feels. Notice where you are sitting and what it looks like. Then, elevate your awareness to spirit. Remember your oneness with everything. And set the intention to be a catalyst for peace.

Get THE ORACLE OF PORTALS here

Go Outside

Outdoor time is healing. It just is.

It reminds you of your oneness. It sensitizes you to spirit and your intuition. It heals and balances your energy field, which in turn helps heal your body and mind.

Outdoor time, reliably and invariably, has more of a positive effect on your mood and spirit than you think it will.

Every day if you can, spend some quality time outside. Bundle up if you have to. Take a walk outside (with or without your dog), tend to your garden, or just sit on your doorstep as you drink your tea.

Even just gazing out the window, holding a crystal, or tending to your houseplants can help align you with the healing and grounding energies of the earth.

Whatever you do, don’t neglect this simple but powerful practice. It’s a free energy healing, and it’s always accessible to you.

Tend to Your Everyday Moments with Presence

An easy way to cultivate mindfulness is to find the spaciousness in each individual moment and task.

Don’t think of the whole timeline of your life and the life of the world. Just think of this moment, and treasure it, and be with it.

As best you can, fully enter into every hug, every laugh, every chore, every cup of tea.

I can do this more easily when I remember that life is uncertain: this may be the last time I hug this person. This may be my last bowl of oatmeal. This may be the last time I write an article for my blog.

Mindful presence is not always accessible, and sometimes it’s easier than others. Don’t judge yourself or try to be the best at it. Just do your best to be fully present with what you’re doing when you’re doing it. Again and again and again.

Create Beauty and Perform Acts of Kindness

You can’t singlehandedly overthrow the patriarchy.

But you can cultivate your roses. You can paint, draw, write, and make your home a beautiful place to be.

You can say a kind word. You can smile at strangers, offer compliments, and perform small acts of service. You can give a loved one a call when they’re going through a rough time. You can surprise a friend with a small but thoughtful gift.

You can be a light of compassion and hope.

Again and again, remember these profound words of Mother Teresa: “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.”

Did this post inspire you? What else has helped you find joy and presence during this challenging time? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.